All-cargo charter operator National Airlines will place its first Boeing 777-200 freighter aircraft into service in early May, said Alan White, chief growth officer for parent company National Air Cargo said in an email exchange.
The company anticipates Boeing to deliver its second 777-200 in the final week of May, added Caterina Alf, global director of business development.
National Airlines executives were in Everett, Washington, last week to participate in an official handover ceremony for the company’s first 777 freighter. The carrier ordered four 777-200s in July 2024. The remaining units are scheduled for delivery later this year.
The new aircraft is currently undergoing final check flights at the company’s home base at Orlando International Airport to familiarize crews with the plane’s features, White said. National Airlines has onboarded about 20 certified pilots to fly the 777s.
National currently operates 12 aircraft, including nine Boeing 747-400 freighters. Three of them are passenger-to-freighter conversions. The planes operate throughout Asia, Europe and Latin America. The airline also flies three Airbus passenger aircraft. One of its largest customers is the Pentagon.
The 777s provide welcome capacity in a market where supply for widebody freighters is increasingly tightening as operators retire aging aircraft amid solid demand growth. The twin-engine 777-200s, which are significantly more fuel efficient than the quad-engine 747-400, have a payload of 112 tons and a range of more than 4,800 nautical miles.
Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch.
Write to Eric Kulisch at ekulisch@freightwaves.com.
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